3 Most Popular Rums To Make Daiquiris With in 2025

The Daiquiri dates back to 1896, according to Eater. The first reference to this citrus and rum-based libation is from a cocktail recipe card signed by a mysterious individual named Jennings Cox. Since then, the daiquiri has had plenty of staying power, and it made the No. 5 spot of Drinks International’s list of the Bestselling Cocktails in 2024. This classic cocktail is all about minimalism, with its three ingredients: sugar, lime and rum.

But what kind of rums make the best daiquiri? Drinks International consulted with some of the most talented spirits industry professionals behind the stick at the world’s best bars. The following brands earned the top three spots for the most popular rums to be featured in a daiquiri.

3 Most Popular Rums to Use in a Daiquiri in 2025

3. Planteray

(Photo: Planteray Rum)

Buy It Now | See What The Critics Think

Planteray Rum — formerly known as Plantation Rum — shares that its mission is to elevate rum’s “great terroirs” and share them with the world. The brand is about amplifying rums from the Caribbean to Barbados and ensuring that each rum properly captures the essence of the land it came from. The brand practices a signature double-aging technique and packages its expression in raffia-wrapped bottles.

Winner of the Best Rum Master Blender at the Golden Rum Barrel Awards, Planteray Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel blends the rums from the brand’s stocks and claims to attempt to create a liquid work of art with each offering.

Planteray’s 3 Stars Rum is a great entry-level rum from the brand. It is a blend of rums distilled in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. Critics were partial to its aromas of confectioner’s sugar and honey essence on the palate. The finish is jam-packed with coconut cream and lemon. Planteray 3 Stars has an average price of $20, according to Wine-Searcher, and clocks in at 41.2% ABV.

2. Havana Club

(Photo: Havana Club/Facebook)

Buy It Now | Read Our Review

Havana Club celebrates its rich Cuban heritage and has a history that dates back to the late 1800s, although the name Havana Club wasn’t trademarked until 1934. The brand is helmed by rum masters called “Maestros del Ron Cubano,” who have tended to the distillery for several generations. At present, the brand is overseen by Maestro Asbel Morales, who ensures some of the best Cuban ingredients are used in the rum production.

Havana Club uses sugar cane grown in Cuba’s tropical climate as the base of its spirit, and the brand has a robust portfolio with Havana Club Original, Havana Club 7, Havana Club Smoky, Havana Club Spiced, Havana Club Especial, the Iconica series and more. The brand’s most affordable expression is Havana Club Original, a white rum with a 40% ABV and an average price of $17 according to Wine-Searcher.

Christopher Null of Drinkhacker was particularly partial to this rum’s fruity sharpness, coupled with bright and zingy lime and blood orange in his review.

1. Bacardí

(Photo: Bacardi/Facebook)

Buy It Now | See What The Critics Think

With a heritage dating back to 1862, this Cuban rum brand has a multi-century legacy. From a historical standpoint, it makes sense that Bacardí is the No. 1 rum choice for a daiquiri, considering the very first daiquiri used Bacardi Superior Rum, according to the brand. Bacardí also claims it was the first rum to be used in another popular rum cocktail — the Cuba Libre.

Bacardí became Cuba’s first company to go global, opening facilities in Spain and New York in 1910 because its rums were so popular. The company managed to emerge from Prohibition in America relatively unscathed. Though it had to close its New York plant, Bacardi looked to the global marketplace and began to encourage tourism to Cuba so thirsty Americans could enjoy a tropical escape. Since then, the brand has built an empire and acquired Martini & Rossi in 1993. It continued to grow with the acquisition of Dewar’s Blended Scotch and Bombay Sapphire in the late 1990s.

As far as its rum portfolio is concerned, the brand’s flagship expression, Bacardí Superior, is what appears to be driving sales in regards to daiquiris. It’s well suited for cocktails, affordably priced at around $15 a bottle with an ABV of 40%.